Entrepreneur's Corner: Marc Slotin, owner of Imagination Station

Published: Sunday, August 31, 2014 at 7:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, August 29, 2014 at 5:12 p.m.

Marc Slotin

Marc Slotin owns the specialty toy store Imagination Station, at 180 E. Main St., in downtown Spartanburg. The business has been in Spartanburg for 27 years and moved from the Hillcrest Shopping Center to downtown about five years ago. Imagination Station is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

Downtown life

It's great to be downtown. It's still more or less a destination place. But people visiting Spartanburg, sometimes they'll walk in off the street.

The toy business

During the year, it's mostly a birthday present business. I get a lot of business from grandparents buying toys for their grandkids. But most of the emphasis is on the fourth quarter of the year, during the holidays.

Popular items

The PlasmaCar. This thing is self-propelled. So that's one of the top sellers. Or Stomp Rockets, they always sell. There's a pad, and the kid stomps on the pad and launches a rocket. Another thing that's been doing super-duper well is the 'No' button. It's got 10 different 'no' responses. So not only do kids love it, but people buy it for their offices.

Marc's favorites

This toy is called the Rocket Ball. The thing that's unusual about it is that you shoot it up in the sky and you can barely see it. It gets that high. And I love this magnetic dart board. It's the best I've ever seen. When you throw the dart, it sticks. It doesn't wobble. Another thing, something moms are always looking for. … There's something called a WubbaNub — a pacifier with a stuffed animal attached to it. That's one thing people come to me and specifically ask for. It's soft, and it can rest on a baby's chest. Or, as they get older and it's time to take the pacifier away, you can cut it off and they still have the stuffed animal. That's my theory, anyway.

Love of toys

Initially, I started this business because it seemed Spartanburg had a need for it. At the time, there was no toy store here — on the east side. But it's so much fun finding new toys — seeing kids get excited about new toys, seeing parents getting excited. And it's fun demonstrating the toys. As a professional, you have to play around with all these toys.

Not just any toy store

One of the things about a specialty toy store is that I'm constantly looking for something that's a unique item, that's not everywhere. Occasionally, there will be some overlap — like 'Frozen' is now. But for the most part, it would be nice to find toys that set us apart.

<p class="bold allcaps">Marc Slotin</p>
<p><i>Marc Slotin owns the specialty toy store Imagination Station, at 180 E. Main St., in downtown Spartanburg. The business has been in Spartanburg for 27 years and moved from the Hillcrest Shopping Center to downtown about five years ago. Imagination Station is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.</i></p><p><b>Downtown life</b></p><p>It's great to be downtown. It's still more or less a destination place. But people visiting Spartanburg, sometimes they'll walk in off the street.</p><p><b>The toy business</b></p><p>During the year, it's mostly a birthday present business. I get a lot of business from grandparents buying toys for their grandkids. But most of the emphasis is on the fourth quarter of the year, during the holidays.</p><p><b>Popular items</b></p><p>The PlasmaCar. This thing is self-propelled. So that's one of the top sellers. Or Stomp Rockets, they always sell. There's a pad, and the kid stomps on the pad and launches a rocket. Another thing that's been doing super-duper well is the 'No' button. It's got 10 different 'no' responses. So not only do kids love it, but people buy it for their offices.</p><p><b>Marc's favorites</b></p><p>This toy is called the Rocket Ball. The thing that's unusual about it is that you shoot it up in the sky and you can barely see it. It gets that high. And I love this magnetic dart board. It's the best I've ever seen. When you throw the dart, it sticks. It doesn't wobble. Another thing, something moms are always looking for. … There's something called a WubbaNub — a pacifier with a stuffed animal attached to it. That's one thing people come to me and specifically ask for. It's soft, and it can rest on a baby's chest. Or, as they get older and it's time to take the pacifier away, you can cut it off and they still have the stuffed animal. That's my theory, anyway.</p><p><b>Love of toys</b></p><p>Initially, I started this business because it seemed Spartanburg had a need for it. At the time, there was no toy store here — on the east side. But it's so much fun finding new toys — seeing kids get excited about new toys, seeing parents getting excited. And it's fun demonstrating the toys. As a professional, you have to play around with all these toys.</p><p><b>Not just any toy store</b></p><p>One of the things about a specialty toy store is that I'm constantly looking for something that's a unique item, that's not everywhere. Occasionally, there will be some overlap — like 'Frozen' is now. But for the most part, it would be nice to find toys that set us apart.</p><p><i>Staff writer Jason Spencer compiled this report.</i></p>